Al Churchill

There is an age old practice that many people still do today; the act of saying grace before a meal. I have never been party to this action but I am always grateful for the meal and always show my appreciation and thank the cook or host.
I guess the act of ‘saying grace’ is associated with religion and as I do not ‘belong’ to a religious group, this act has been omitted from my routine. The absence of this act does not make me any less appreciative however, I would like to touch on the importance of gratitude here in this piece.

The other day whilst sat in a restaurant with a new group of people, after the food arrived, I became involved in the holding of hands, followed by each person taking their turn to state what they are grateful for today. Now, the act of holding hands may or may not be something everyone is keen to do, but drawing the attention to what each person was grateful for, certainly emphasized the amount of good there is in daily life.

It is shown that expressing gratitude is good for you on many levels, as this article from the Greater Good Science Centre, University of California, will attest.

So whether or not you make it a ritual before dinner, or more casually express your gratitude to someone throughout the day, it is sure to have benefits. Ask a friend or a relative at a random point throughout today, “What are you grateful for today?”

Expressing gratitude will be my new positive change.

Thanks, I truly appreciate you reading my words!